Driveway trench floor drain

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Bsquared

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I am going to be replacing my old drive way and was thinking that this will be an excellent opportunity to install a trenched floor drain in the driveway. I did a little searching and came up with these plastic trench drains from home depot.

They look fairly straight forward to install and are
The UV Stabilized, ADA compliant grate is designed for residential applications or even heavy wheel loads (H-20 rated).

I am going to have to dig up and replace a short section of cast iron pipe that runs from the driveway to my main drop as we are going to extend the driveway to go over it, so I will be able to tie this into my sewer while Im doing that.

Any one have experience doing this, or with this product? I'll be having a plumber doing the instal, and a contractor pouring the concrete. But any advice would be appreciated.
 
Hmm
Check your local codes. We're not allowed to direct storm runoff (Sump pumps, etc) to sewer where I live.

If it's cool with the local codes, I couldn't see why not.

OTOH, wouldn't you need a trap on your driveway drain to keep the sewer gasses back?
 
+1 on needing a trap if you drain into your actual sewer line. When I built my garage/brew house we put a floor drain in the brew area that has a trap under the slab and drains into the sewer.

On the other hand, we put a trenched drain in the 'driveway' (it's only like 4 feet from the alleyway) to the garage just like the one you mentioned. This just runs into a french drain we dug. This was easier in this location, and local code doesn't allow running an outdoor runnoff drain into the municipal sewer, just as SweetSounds suggested.

Either way, it's a hassle but totally worth doing. I absolutely love having the floor drain in the new building for brewing.
 
I helped my dad install something similar along the entire front of their two car (separate doors) garage. We did the install, and although we had a company deliver the concrete, we did all the hand work on it ourselves. Its really not as difficult as it seems. You mainly just want to plan everything you're going to do in detail, get everything laid out the way you want it (within code), and then work quickly but carefully.

If you're have a contractor/plumber do it, then I would just make sure to be present and keep an eye on it, to make sure its being done the way you're paying to have it done.
 
I'll definitely check on the code aspect of it, I really did not think of that and that could be a problem of sorts.

I was planing on putting a tap in. I figure Id just have to dig a little deeper to put it in.
 
If possible i would avoid a trench drain...can the driveway be graded to a drain off the side of the driveway to a drain? or perhaps a single inlet piped w/ proper slope. Plastic trench drains usually do not last as long as the concrete they are cast in and are expensive. They are also usually very low slope and collect debris and are a maintenance problem. If the driveway is sloped toward the house, perhaps create a low point say 5 feet in front of the garage and gently sloped to the side and install a drain off the driveway that can be maintained or changed during the life of the driveway. Sure they have their place perhaps when there are no other options, but usually are not as promising as they appear in the brochure :) good luck.

Mike 30 year civil engineer
 
a trap and a vent will be needed if tied into the sanitary,depending on local codes you might get by with a air admittance valve on the vent terminal also known as a studor vent.
at least your in San D. so frost wont be a problem.
in Wis it probably would have to tie into the sanitary because if you wash your car in that area the soap water would need to be treated
 
I talked to a contractor yesterday, and he did not think there would be an issue with the instalation. I did find these guys LTEC Metal Driveway drains. I think Im going to send them an email and ask if these can be hooked up to the sewer system, The have a 3" ABS spout, So I,d assume it would be easy to put a trap on it. Its just the venting I'm not to sure how that would work.
 
Raising this thread from the dead - it's on my topic and I didn't see starting a brand new one since there was some good insight here.

This post is entitled, "What Trench Drains in the Home Brewery Are For"

Having said that. this is not about outside trench drains, this is about in-the-brewery trench drains. I built out an electric brew studio in my basement, so this is about the trench drain that I installed there (photo).

So I thought I was pretty clever with my spiffy trench drain. It leads to a below grade sump which is serviced by a pump. After more than a year brewing in this space, which has been really great, I began to think to myself, well, that trench drain really isn't so useful. I've never had a big enough spill to warrant it. Most of the spills during regular brewing are small enough so I just sop them up with a towel.

And then this happened...

I filled the tank with water last night to prepare for today's brew session. After preheating the mash water (just so I didn't have to heat it from 49F in the morning), I removed the circulation hose from the top and placed the top on the tank. Then I went out to dinner.

In the morning, I come down and notice that the hose has fallen to the floor and 10 gallons of water has drained out of the tank, apparently down the trench drain, because there was no sign of is whatever.

So, it finally occurred to me that this is what trench drains are for: clumsy brewers who do stupid things.

Trench Drain.jpg
 
"...my spiffy trench drain. It leads to a below grade sump which is serviced by a pump."

Curious to know more about how you did this. I've had several cases in my basement brewery where I goofed and liquid went all over the floor, etc. So, being able to put a drain in which leads to a sump and then pump it out, would be great. Just by chance, did you take photos of the process?
 
So I didn't do the work myself, but for damned sure I was there when the guys did it.

I looked back and couldn't find any photos of the work in progress, but I do recall in detail what it entailed, and ultimately, it wasn't really that complicated.

My basement floor was laid in 1941 and is a layer of poured concrete, thicker in a few places where posts go up to support the flooring above. Dirt below. Probably just like yours. The guys started by jack-hammering out an oblong hole about the size of the trench drain. They supplied a plastic item that I would not recommend. It flexes underfoot in a really creepy way that bugs me every time I step on it. Get one of the metal ones linked earlier in this thread. Worth the money.

Then they jacked out a trench to the sub-grade floor sump. They put 2" PVC drain in between the trench and the sump, then placed the trench drain into place and poured cement around it to fit, and to patch the drain pipe trench. Nothing careful or elegant here, Just jack the old sh&t out, lay the pipe in there and patch with Sacrete.

Later I realized that I should have sat on the guys here. The trench drain was laid at grade so later when I put the tile over the cement, the trench was too low. I laid in some additional trench covers and it's fine, but I should have had the tile ready and used it to set the height of the trench set so it would be flush with the finished floor.

Yes, you would think that the f'ing dudes setting the trench would have thought of that - but it never happens like that. You always have to think of everything.

Anyway, I hope that's helpful. I will say that if that ever needs to be done again, I will do it myself and do it right. Nothing the guys did was rocket science. Oh, and a cheap electric rented jack hammer will do the job.
 
I'm an Excavation Contractor..This is the kind of stuff I do all the time or at least prep the site and rough in the plumbing and grades for...Here is a general representation of what is involved.
Lots of variation on inlet and discharged plumbing so you have lots of options.

Its about 400 to 500 for all the material..Pump,pump well, pipe etc.etc.

ETA: AFWIW...some of us are very conscientious and think of more things then even the homeowner..;)

sump pump.gif
 
Very helpful. I'm planning on putting in a drain for my brew room and now I see that sending it to a sump and pump is the way to go. Given the image provided, it also looks that set up would solve any water in the basement, too. I get some water from the outside into the brew room and another room I want to convert into a bathroom. A drain along the outside wall, as in the image, should solve the problem.
 
With any new indoor on grade slab work it is imperative to have a capillary break( "clean gravel"..meaning no fines in it to wick up moisture) as well as a vapor barrier( plastic) on top of that gravel before pouring your slab. If you cant get positive drainage, meaning gravity flow to day-light, then a sump is the best course.
 
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